Doctor Who_ Winner Takes All - Jacqueline Rayner [52]
But there was no time for rejoicing – the Quevvil had recovered from the blow and was staggering towards them, its quills straightening, ready to throw. The Doctor was still poking around inside the silver box. ‘Quick, on its head!’ he called out.
In a split second, Robert realised what he meant. He grabbed the disc and pushed his hand forward in one rapid movement. His palm slammed into the Quevvil’s face, and he felt the metal legs push themselves into the monster’s coarsely furred forehead. The Doctor had the top back on the control box, and pressed a button.
The Quevvil froze.
‘Well done!’ cried the Doctor, an enormous grin on his face. But Robert wasn’t grinning. He was gazing down at his hand. At the sharp quills that were sticking into his palm. The pain was intense. He choked back a sob.
The Doctor followed his gaze. ‘Ow!’ he said in sympathy. Robert thought that didn’t even begin to cover it. But the Doctor was actually looking serious. ‘Got to get them out,’ he said. ‘They’re barbed, and they can work their way in really quickly. If they hit a major blood vessel…’
Robert shivered. ‘What should I do?’ he asked, trying to keep his voice level.
The Doctor looked him straight in the eye. ‘Can you bear some pain?’
Robert took a deep breath, and nodded. He thought he’d been willing to die for this man. He couldn’t appear a coward in front of him now.
The Doctor put a hand in his jacket pocket, and pulled out a scalpel and an apple. He gave the apple to Robert. ‘Bite into this,’ he said.
Robert stuck his teeth into the apple, and held out his hand. There was a red‐hot pain in his palm, and he crunched right into the apple in shock. He spat out the piece, and put the apple down. ‘I don’t think that’s really helping,’ he said weakly.
‘One more,’ said the Doctor. Robert felt another stab, and couldn’t help but whimper. ‘OK,’ said the Doctor. ‘All done.’ Robert looked down, and found the quills gone from his hand. The Doctor was holding them, and even at a distance it was obvious that the barbed points had expanded outwards till they looked like miniature Christmas trees. No wonder the Doctor had had to cut them out.
The Doctor dropped the quills on the floor, and pulled a large white handkerchief out of his pocket. He began to bandage Robert’s hand. ‘Hold it tightly,’ he said. ‘But it shouldn’t bleed for long.’
Robert nodded, gripping his palm as tight as he could with his left hand. But through the pain, he was happy. He’d helped! He’d actually helped! He’d helped the Doctor, and now they’d be able to rescue Rose, the most wonderful girl in the world…
He looked up at the screen, expecting to see exactly the same view as when the Doctor had abandoned the game a few minutes before. But to his shock, he found that wasn’t the case.
‘Doctor!’ he screamed, too horrified to be embarrassed. ‘A Mantodean!’
The Doctor spun round. There on the screen, the giant green figure of a Mantodean was approaching. Its jaws were open, coming closer and closer.
* * *
SIXTEEN
Rose’s thoughts about the Doctor were not complimentary. She’d been suffering the indignities of being walked and jumped and run around, and now she was frozen in one place, like a musical‐statues world champion. One foot was just off the ground – under normal circumstances she’d have overbalanced quite quickly. The Doctor was probably having a good old laugh at stupid, helpless, puppet Rose.
And just knowing that he almost certainly wasn’t didn’t stop her thinking about it. When she got hold of him…
She’d give him a great big hug, because she’d still be alive and he’d still be alive and he’d probably have saved her life, lots of other people’s lives, and a planet or two into the bargain. And she wouldn’t mention the helplessness she’d felt; how she hated this more than anything ever.
She wouldn’t mention how she was worried she was his puppet, doing things at his command, whether she could move by herself or not.
She thought she’d chosen to travel with him of her own free will, but she’d figured out that he had his own agenda. Because